Something to Think About
by ChloeM
Summary: Lily, outside studying, while James plays with that blasted snitch, goes to 'politely' ask him to stop. Madness ensues, and the two have a civil conversation. James gives Lily something to think about, though it might not be what he had intended...


Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Those who are waiting for the next chapter of Meant to Be are probably going to hate me, but this idea just thrust itself into my head and I absolutely had to write it. It's a one shot, pretty fluffy, so enjoy and have fun!

Ten billion thanks to my beta, Sean:)

Disclaimer: It's all Jo's, of course.

Something to Think About.

_He's doing it…again._ Lily Evans shut _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 6)_ with an irritated snap and glared in the direction of a messy haired boy sitting by the lake. He sat there alone, though James Potter was never really alone. He was always surrounded by either his three best friends or gaggles of admirers. True to form, there was a group of girls sitting not too far away from him, giggling and glancing over every few moments.

He had his Snitch out, and he was playing his little game that he always played when he wanted to show off. Let the Snitch fly away and then grab it back before it was out of reach. _It's not that exciting, girls!_ She wanted to yell at those who would gasp every time he caught it again. _It's never going to change! He's always going to catch it! _She honestly did not get what was so wonderful about this boy. Sure, he had stopped hexing people since their little tête-à-tête last year, but he was still just a conceited, showing off git.

Snitch flies away -- he grabs it back. _There -- he -- goes -- again! _She clenched her fists. _Enough is enough_. She thought angrily. _Some people are trying to get work done, for goodness sakes!_ Furious, Lily stood up, placed her textbook securely in her shoulder bag and made her way over to him.

He didn't see her coming; he was concentrating on the Snitch. _Why does he even need to practice with a bloody Snitch? He's not even a Seeker. He's a Chaser!_ Snitch flies away -- he grabs it back.

Except this time he didn't grab it back. She reached down in front of him and swiftly grabbed the Snitch before he could trap it in his hand once again.

James looked surprised, but only for a moment. He glanced from his empty hand, cupped around air, to Lily's hand, holding the furiously beating Snitch, to her face, which was not very pleased. His hand went directly to his hair, messing it up. "All right, Evans?"

"It's not that hard, Potter," Lily said, going straight into her rant. "You let it go. You catch it." She demonstrated, letting the Snitch fly away and then grabbing it back again, a little more forcefully than intended. "The same thing happens over, and over, and over. We get the point! You can catch a bloody Snitch! Now would you please stop showing off, and put the Snitch away? Some of us actually have to study."

James looked only slightly taken aback by her outburst. He shrugged, "I'm not hurting anyone."

"It's distracting," Lily said through clenched teeth.

"You were all the way over there," he commented idly. Lily made no response. "Unless," he continued, a gleeful smirk appearing on his handsome face. _Handsome face?_ She almost laughed at herself. _James Potter is _not_ handsome._ "Unless of course, you were watching _me; _and the fact that _you_ kept looking over at _me_ distracted _you. _In which case, that's really not _my_ fault, is it? Perfectly understandable, though."

This time Lily did laugh. "Oh come off it, Potter. You actually think that seeing _you _was distracting me?"

James just shrugged, smiling at her calmly. "You _said_ that my catching the Snitch was bothering you, and it's not like I'm making noise, so you obviously had to be _looking_ at _me_. You offer no evidence otherwise."

"I don't _have _to offer any evidence otherwise!" she started heatedly, "The mere idea is laughable…honestly, Potter!"

He just smirked. She could feel her cheeks redden. She knew that he took great pleasure in making her angry. "Says the girl who was staring at me."

"Oh, for the love of Merlin, Potter!" She took a deep breath. _Don't let him get to you. Don't let him get to you. It's what he wants. _Regaining her dignity, she said, "I didn't come over here to get in a fight with you."

"Fight? Who said anything about fighting?"

Lily ignored the interruption. "I just came over here to politely ask if you could _stop_ so I could _study_."

James snorted, "Right. Remind me, which part of 'Put that bloody Snitch away you conceited git so I can read this textbook, that I've read a thousand times already, in peace' was polite?"

_I did not say that!_ Lily felt her temper rising. _No. _No._ Keep your cool. It'll only make him happier if you explode._ Six years and she learned _that_ much. "Okay, I apologize." James looked mildly surprised. "I lost my temper, and I shouldn't have yelled. So here: James Potter, could you _please_ put your bl-- your Snitch away so I could _please_ resume my reading of this textbook in peace so that I will not fail my exam, _please_?"

His laugh was deep and rich. _Oh dear Merlin, Lily, what is _wrong_ with you today? James Potter's laugh is not 'deep and rich.' It is annoying, frustrating, and altogether infuriating!_ He grinned, "Apology accepted, and sure, since you asked_ so nicely_,"

"Thank you," she said tersely, turning around and walking away.

"That was a pretty good catch, you know," James voice came from behind her. She stopped and turned around. _Oh no._ Of course, he wasn't going to give up a perfectly good opportunity to talk to her. There he was, towering over her (more because she was so short than he was tall), smiling.

"You're following me," Lily informed him. She looked up at him. He was grinning.

"Am I?" he asked, looking down at his feet and back up at her with an almost satisfied smile on his face. Lily just glared and continued to walk. He didn't leave. "But like I was saying, that was a pretty good catch. Ever thought about trying out for Quidditch? We're going to need a new Seeker now that Bones is quitting."

Lily laughed. _Yeah, like that would ever happen. _"Right, so I can wake up every morning to your face and this bloody Snitch?"

James winked at her, "Motivation is motivation."

Her stomach fluttered. _That's because you want to hurl,_ she reminded herself. "Sorry, Potter. Not likely to happen. I don't like Quidditch very much."

"Why?" he inquired, shocked that anyone could_ not like_ Quidditch.

"A number of reasons: One, I'm not too fond of heights. Two, I'm even less fond of having big, black balls hurled at my head while I am flying at great heights. Three, it's overrated. Amusing as it is to watch people fly around and fall off their broomsticks, I honestly don't understand the great hype about it all."

James looked as if someone had hit him in the face with a bludger. "But it's -- it's _Quidditch_! It's the best thing…in the world!"

Lily snorted, "And you wonder why this girl won't go out with you."

"Are you saying that if I gave up Quidditch you would go out with me?" he asked very quickly, looking hopeful.

She laughed, but it wasn't a deriding laugh. "No, I'm saying that you Quidditch players are way too obsessed. Plus, even if I would, it wouldn't be for very long, because the entire Gryffindor house would conspire to murder me. " James laughed at her last comment, and though she tried to ignore it, her heart leaped. _He would give up Quidditch for me?_ They had passed where she had been sitting before. Now they were just walking aimlessly towards the castle. _Maybe I'll just go up to the dorms. Get away from him. _

"Well," James said, "I still say you'd make a great Seeker. You've got the build and everything. You're light, small…" Lily's cheeks flushed. _I'm just sensitive about my height, _she explained to herself. _Nothing more. _"You've obviously got great reflexes. You're perfect. Why not give it a shot?"

_...Perfect?_

They were at the doors now. "I'm going in," she told him, starting to open the door.

He reached his arm over her head and closed it. Leaning against the door, he said, "You didn't answer my question."

She looked up at him, "You're question was…?"

"Why not give it a shot?"

She sighed. She was getting bored with this. "Give me one good reason why I should."

"Despite the fact that Quidditch is the most exhilarating sport ever and that it's great fun, you said it yourself! You get to see me even _more_!"

She laughed because she knew he was joking, "I don't think so, Potter."

He shrugged, opened the door for her, and said, "Something to think about." And he walked away.

It was only after she was up in the common room that she realized she still had his Snitch. She let the Snitch fly away…and then she grabbed it back.


End file.
